


i try twice as hard, and i'm half as liked.

by foliageashes



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Feels, Fluff and Angst, Guilt, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentioned Miya Chinen, Mentioned Shindo Ainosuke, Soft Kyan Reki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29277438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foliageashes/pseuds/foliageashes
Summary: Langa can't help but feel guilty for his failed attempt at beating Adam, and Reki's there to remind him he did nothing wrong.The ending of episode 5, but with an emotional twist.
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 175





	i try twice as hard, and i'm half as liked.

**Author's Note:**

> first sk8 the infinity fic :] happy bday to langa btw
> 
> EDIT 3/3/21: wtheck this title wouldve been perfect for reki ahhh why do i do this

The waters of Okinawa lapped at the stone, accompanying the crickets in filling the silence of the night. The night seemed eerily calm, contradictory to the fiasco that happened previously. Skaters from  _ S  _ running left and right, trying to escape the sudden arrival of cops. That had been a new experience. Cops had never busted them before.

Langa and Reki sat on the stone, staring out at the water. They managed to escape the cops by the skin of their teeth. Langa was a deer in headlights, the lights of the cop car shining on him. Thank God for Reki, who came in at the nick of time and drove away with him. The two were silent, as if both of them were still processing what happened. They talked a bit about the events before, but other than that, nothing.

It wasn’t just the cops they had to process, but Adam and Langa’s race. Reki had a pit inside his stomach the whole time. He went up against Adam and lost, resulting in a broken arm and a bleeding head. He didn’t want that to happen to Langa. Luckily, Langa got through unscathed, but Reki’s worries still didn’t go away.

Langa was Reki’s first close friend in a while. Langa filled a hole in his heart, the hole Reki’s old friend created when he quit skateboarding. It hurts Reki to think about it. His old friend is what got him into skateboarding, and it’s all he has left of him. If Langa suffered from the same fate, he wouldn’t know what he would do.

Reki broke the silence with a sigh. “You know. . . What happened to the promise you wouldn’t be reckless?” His voice was full of concern, with a hint of tease. He was half expecting Langa to break the promise they made the night before, since Langa sets out to do anything, despite the risks. It’s not a bad thing to be brave like that, but it all depends on what you’re being brave for.

Langa looked over at him, and his blue eyes seemed to glisten more than usual. Maybe it was from the moon sparkling on the water, reflecting back into his eyes, or maybe it was guilt. His voice expressed the same emotion when he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Reki closed his eyes for a moment before standing up. “But you know, I’m glad. . .” When he opened his eyes again, he fixed his vision on the water; the water that stretched endlessly. It was similar to Reki’s concern for Langa. Never ending and always going. He softened. “. . .that you were all right.”

Langa didn’t miss the emotion in his friend’s eyes. His eyes widened slightly before he settled on a smile, his gaze dropping. He was grateful, he really was. In a short amount of time, him and Reki had grown close. 

Langa had his doubts when he moved from Canada to Okinawa. Ever since his dad’s passing, he felt like he had nothing. He gave up everything. It was just him and his mother. He lost friends, he gave up snowboarding, and school was becoming more difficult. The fact that Reki has given him a chance to restart makes his heart warm.

“Langa,” Reki said as he turned to the blue-haired boy, his voice warm and mellow. “You should stay away from him,” he said more demandingly, his voice slightly raised.

Langa stared at him, his mouth slightly agape. He protested against that statement many times. He practiced for his race against Adam, he accepted Adam’s challenge in the first place, and his mind was one hundred percent set on beating him. He  _ needed  _ to beat him once he saw the damage Adam had done on Reki. But something here made it a little harder to protest. He saw the unfiltered concern in Reki’s orange eyes, and it squeezed at his heart a little.

“Got it,” Langa said. “But still. . . he hurt you.” He really did get it, he did. But he can’t act like Reki’s injuries never happened. “He made you go to the hospital, Reki. That’s horrible.”

Reki’s brows furrowed. “Langa. . .” He sat down next to him, and their shoulders slightly touched. Everything seemed warmer now. “You—I get you’re mad at him for hurting me, but the same thing would’ve happened to you if the race kept going. Then I would get angry at him, and start a beef. It would be an endless cycle!”

Langa smiled at that, but it quickly vanished. “Adam. . . he’s insensitive and a jerk. He hurt Miya, too. If I beat him right then and there, everything would’ve been better. I let you and Miya down.”

Reki stiffened. “Why would you say that?” He leaned in close. “Langa, we would never blame you for that. You said it yourself, Adam is insensitive and a jerk, so who cares about him? What matters is that you tried.”

Langa sighed, it was a bit shaky. “I guess. . . yeah. Thanks, Reki.” 

Reki saw right through him. Langa was still unconvinced. So, Reki scooted back, and opened his arms. One was broken, but that wouldn’t stop him from giving his friend a hug. “C’mere.”

Langa hesitated. “But, your arm—”

“It’s fine,” Reki responded. “That’s not important right now.”

Langa couldn’t help the smile that lifted his lips. He scooted close and hugged Reki, closing his eyes in the warmth. It reminds him of how his dad used to hug him. Nothing but kindness and warmth.

Reki wrapped his arms around him. “It’ll be okay, yeah? We got each other, and that’s satisfactory enough. We don’t need some damn Adam guy in our life.”

Langa nodded, his head pressed against Reki’s shoulder. He felt like crying. Where would he right now if it weren’t for Reki? Because of him, he has a job, friends, a passion, and something to look forward to each day. A place where he  _ belongs _ . 

He couldn’t thank him enough.


End file.
